Rumors

According to evleaks, there could be four more Lumia devices that we have yet to hear about, carrying the codenames Guilin, Honjo, Saana, and Saimaa. These are referenced in addition to Cityman and Talkman, which most have already heard before.

Noted Internet gadget leaker "evleaks" has posted a very blurry image of what he hints is a future Microsoft smartphone. The image shows what appears to be the phone's camera that looks something like the 41 MP Lumia 1020.

Two German websites claim to have more information about Microsoft's two alleged Windows 10 Mobile flagship phones, which may launch sometime in the second half of 2015. The big news is the addition of USB Type-C to the mix.

It is not exactly a hidden secret that Microsoft is rebranding its business orientated Lync platform to the more accessible Skype for Business. The rebranding had already begun a few months ago and soon after, hints that a Windows Phone app was on the way as well. In fact, during a recent Reddit AMA, members of the Skype for Business team at Microsoft dropped some significant signs an app was being tested.

Now, a private report to Windows Central claims the planned release date for this app is Friday, May 15. The report goes on to tell us that this app is ahead of the iOS and Android versions, which are still being worked on though there is no ETA for their release just yet.

A new article claims, via unnamed sources, to have the hardware specs and code names for two upcoming Lumia smartphones from Microsoft. The story says that both devices will use Windows 10 for phone and will launch later this fall.

The Surface 3 is barely out the door yet, and talk of the Surface Pro 4 is inevitably around the corner. To our knowledge, no one is expecting this device until later this year when Windows 10's big marketing push begins. After all, the Surface Pro 3 is doing well, and the Surface 3 compares favorably as an alternative to that device.

However, Chinese tech site 36kr has come across some possible specifications for the next gen Microsoft 2-in-1. Although I often pass on such reports, this one has caught my interest for a few reasons.

File this one under wishful thinking, but Elephone is evidently working on a new flagship device. The alleged phone vaunts a QuadHD (2560 x 1440) display, 4GB of RAM and a 20.7-megapixel camera (Sony's IMX230 sensor). Powered by an Intel processor and boasting a fingerprint scanner, the phone runs Windows 10 for mobile.

A version with Android 5.0 Lolipop was also shown, although it is not clear if these are two separate versions of the phone or a more unlikely dual-boot scenario.

A Italy-based hacker group called OrangeSec claims to have 'ported' over Microsoft's Cortana digital assistant so that it will work on Android devices. However, their work is not a true port as the team has simply leveraged Cortana's backend that lacks many of the features found on the Windows Phone version.

A render of what appears to be an unannounced mid-range Windows Phone made by LG with a Verizon Wireless logo is making the Internet rounds today, but no other information about the alleged device has been revealed.

Windows Central has learned that Verizon Wireless in the US is still picking up the Nokia Lumia 735 mid-range smartphone, tentatively scheduled for a May release.

Windows Central first reported that Verizon would be grabbing the Lumia 735 back in September of 2014. By October, however, our sources had reported that the phone was delayed until "early 2015". Later in November, the phone was spotted passing through the FCC with Verizon's LTE bands, solidifying the intention of the carrier to stock the smartphone.

Up until recently, we had written off the Lumia 735 as coming to Verizon. Now, people familiar with the matter have informed us that the Lumia 735 is estimated for a May release.

A couple of weeks after Microsoft revealed that Windows 10 for phones would support NFC payments similar to Apple Pay, there's more evidence that the company may try to compete directly with Apple's payment system.

When it comes to Microsoft's mobile future, everything is on the table, including the possibility of running Android apps to fill in the 'app gap'. Windows 10 for phone is not even out the door yet, but intel on Microsoft continues to keep this strategy alive.

A new report from Neowin sheds more light on this program's status and obstacles.